Chapter 4

Andrew gasped. His eyes turned red with fury as he roared at me, "Apologize to Celine! How can you bully your own sister like that, Joanna? I demand an apology from you!"

I looked him in the eye for a whole 20 seconds, and it felt like the longest 20 seconds of my life.

As I did so, a series of memories flashed through my mind. They were memories of him saying he loved me, him promising to take care of me forever after my parents passed away, us dreaming about our future together…

But now, the only emotion in his eyes was his hatred for me.

I lost. I was the first to look away.

After seeing that I wasn't speaking at all, Andrew yanked me over with a forceful jerk.

As I stumbled over the hem of my gown, I fell onto a heap of cake and frosting. Beneath it was a layer of shattered porcelain.

My palms and calves were all stinging with pain.

Startled, Andrew reached down to pull me up, but the moment Celine yelped in pain, he paid no further attention to me. Frowning, he picked Celine up instead and walked off without even looking back.

As the guests muttered and traded suspicions with each other, my vision turned dark, and I crashed onto the floor.

…

The next time I saw Andrew was the morning of the wedding.

When he saw me in my wedding dress, he let out a quiet sigh of relief. Then, as if nothing had ever happened, he took my hand and led me to the car.

His eyes were filled with tender affection as he said, "You look beautiful, Joanna."

Through the veil, I looked at him and said, "Congratulations on your wedding, Andrew."

Once I was gone, I was sure his wish would be granted.

I closed my eyes and took the drug that would help me fake my death.

I didn't want to marry Andrew anymore, and I didn't want to marry the heir of the Wright family either. By the time I regained consciousness, everything would probably be over.

…

The next morning, chaos reigned outside the Wright residence.

Andrew had come looking for me with his men in tow. "Where's Joanna? Give me back my wife! Didn't you Wrights even notice that you guys got the wrong bride? If Joanna has even as much as a nick on her finger, you can forget about ever working with the Hammonds again!

"Where the hell is everyone? Bring Joanna out at once!"

At last, someone opened the door and emerged from the house. It was Hugo Wright, the heir of the Wright family.

His calm, indifferent expression on his face seemed more like a provocation to Andrew.

Celine had already safely left. Now that Andrew was only a step away from having his plan be a complete success, he felt an inexplicable sense of jitters and unease.

Then, he heard Hugo say, "Ms. Sherman suffered from a heart attack during the ride over to the Wright residence, Mr. Hammond. I'm afraid the doctors failed to save her. She has passed away."

There was a brief silence before Andrew let out a booming laugh and flipped over the coffee table, smashing it. "Don't give me that bullshit!"

Alas, once he saw Hugo's reaction, he knew it was unlikely that Hugo was lying to him.

Andrew had never felt as agitated as he did now. He frantically followed Hugo, who led him to my body.

With great difficulty, he extended a finger and placed it under my nose.

He felt nothing. It seemed like I was genuinely dead.

Andrew fell to his knees with a loud thump, his tears dripping onto my face.